Even though peafowl of either sex are commonly referred to informally as “peacocks,” male peafowl are referred to as peacocks and female peafowl are referred to as peahens.

The blue or Indian peafowl, which is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, and the green peafowl, which is unique to Southeast Asia, are the two Asian species; the Congo peafowl, which is only found in the Congo Basin, is the only African species. Peafowl males are noted for their piercing cries and lavish plumage. The Asiatic species, which have an eye-spotted “tail” or “train” of covert feathers that they show as part of a courting ritual, are particularly notable in this regard.

The purposes of the peacocks’ complex iridescent coloration and enormous “train” have been the subject of much scholarly discussion. They functioned to attract females, according to Charles Darwin, and the males’ flashy characteristics had evolved through sexual selection. In his handicap theory, Amotz Zahavi suggested that these characteristics served as honest indications of male fitness, because less-fit men would be disadvantaged by the difficulties of surviving with such massive and visible structures.

The Indian peacock’s plumage is iridescent blue and green, usually metallic blue and green, although the green peacock’s body feathers are green and bronze. Females are somewhat smaller in weight and wingspan than males in both species, but males are substantially longer due to the “tail,” sometimes called as a “train.” The peacock train is made up of extremely extended upper tail coverts rather than tail quill feathers.

The eyespots on these feathers are most visible when a peacock spreads his tail. All species have a crest on the top of their heads, which is shared by both sexes. The Indian peahen’s plumage is a combination of drab grey, brown, and green. The female may also show her plumage to ward off female competitors or to warn her young of danger.

Green peafowl are distinguished from Indian peafowl by their green and gold plumage and black wings with a blue sheen. The green peahen, unlike Indian peafowl, is similar to the male but has shorter upper tail coverts, a more coppery neck, and less iridescence overall.

During courting displays, the Congo peacock male does not show his covert feathers and instead employs his real tail feathers. The ocelli are significantly less prominent than in Indian and green species, and the feathers are much shorter. The Indian and African species’ females are a drab grey or brown color.

Chicks of both sexes are cryptically colored in every species. They are yellow to tawny in color, with deeper brown or light tan areas and “dirty white” ivory.

Spaldings are hybrids of Indian and Green peafowl named after Mrs. Keith Spalding, the first person to successfully hybridize them. Spaldings are prolific and benefit from hybrid vigor, unlike many hybrids; spaldings with a high-green phenotype perform considerably better in low conditions than the cold-intolerant green peafowl while still looking like their green parents. Individual spaldings have different plumage, with some appearing more like green peafowl and others looking more like blue peafowl, while most have features of both.

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